Officials say a Southern California beach that had been closed since an undersea pipeline leaked crude into ocean waters last week is set to reopen Monday.
City and state beaches in Huntington Beach will reopen after water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil associated toxins in the ocean water, Huntington city and California State Parks said in a news release. They are still urging visitors to avoid areas that smell of oil and not to touch any oiled materials that wash ashore.
The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area. The cause is under investigation and officials said they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ship’s anchor several months to a year before it ruptured. It remains unknown when the slender, 13-inch crack in the pipeline began leaking oil.
Officials in the city of 200,000 people have been testing the water to ensure it’s safe before people are allowed back in. Popular surfing and swimming spots in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach are also closed, and further south the water is open but signs are posted warning people about the spill. “It could be a year to two years to get the tourism to come back,” Ali said, adding that a 1990 oil spill wound up diverting would-be visitors to beaches south and north of the city.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Here’s What The Devastating 130,000-Gallon Oil Spill In Southern California Looks LikeHere’s What The Devastating 130,000-Gallon Oil Spill In Southern California Looks Like:
Read more »
How oil spills harm birds, dolphins, sea lions and other wildlifeAn oil spill like the one off the coast of Southern California is a disaster on many levels — maybe none more tragic than the deadly effects of petroleum on wildlife. Here's a closer look at how some species of marine life are affected.
Read more »
Tar balls are appearing on San Diego beaches, possibly linked to the pipeline breach in southern CaliforniaEarlier this week, a 13-inch pipeline breach off the coast of southern California - about five miles away from Huntington Beach - spilled more than 125,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.
Read more »
Southern California business owners frustrated as oil spill forces them to close shopJaz Kaner has never experienced an oil spill that closed beaches and waterways in Southern California. The oil spill is having an adverse affect on his and other businesses that are dependent on the ocean.
Read more »
More than a week after oil spill, cleanup crews continue combing Orange County beachesMore than 1,400 workers fanned out across the county's coastline and to area wetlands, wearing hazmat suits and carrying sifting nets as they combed the sand for black tar.
Read more »
Shares Fall 50% In Company Behind Historic California Oil SpillAmplify Energy emerged from Chapter 11 in 2018. Will it survive the fallout and cleanup of the Orange County spill?
Read more »